West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's volleyball team secured a victory over Southern Indiana, sweeping the match in three sets at Screaming Eagles Arena. This win places the Leathernecks in fourth position in the Ohio Valley Conference standings with a conference record of 6-3.

Keyana Cruse led the match with 15 kills and a hitting percentage of .308. Julianna Schmidt contributed seven kills on ten attempts. Maggie Craker recorded 37 assists, while Karli Wenzel led WIU in digs for the second consecutive match, ending with 13 digs and totaling 49 digs over the weekend.

In the first set, Cruse and Schmidt combined for eight of WIU's 15 kills. The Leathernecks managed to secure a narrow win with an 11-7 run that concluded the set at 25-23. Grace Nichols delivered two crucial kills during this decisive run.

The second set saw both teams exchanging points early on until WIU took control with a significant 9-2 run, establishing a lead at 13-9. Brittany Wulf and Keyana Cruse played pivotal roles during this stretch, contributing key plays that helped secure a 25-21 victory.

The third set was dominated by WIU from the outset as they built an early lead of 6-1. Although Southern Indiana briefly tied the score at nine apiece, WIU responded strongly with another decisive run to clinch the set and match by a score of 25-18.

WIU has now swept three opponents within conference play, including Eastern Illinois, SIUE, and Southern Indiana. The Leathernecks will host UT Martin next Friday and Saturday at Western Hall.

For more information about Leatherneck Volleyball, visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow their updates on social media platforms X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.